The Legacy of the Headband
by Golden Solidus
Summary: When Aang masqueraded as Kuzon for a few days and mysteriously disappeared after throwing a secret dance party, his actions changed the small Fire Nation school. Societal messages abound. Includes On Ji, Shoji, Hide,and others. Reviews always appreciated. UPDATE: As of October 2013, there will be a new chapter every Saturday night :)
1. Catalyst for a Revolution

_The Legacy of the Headband_

The secondary school on the outer reaches of the Homeland was a respectable institution of Ozai's reign, preparing the new generation for their role in the proliferation of the greatest empire in the world. Ergo, it was exactly like every other educational facility in the Fire Nation. It didn't even have a name; legal documents referred to the school simply as SS-259.

SS-259 educated students ages ten through fourteen. Every aspect of the school was designed to instill a sense of militant patriotism in the psyches of impressionable students, from the red and gold motif of the entire building to the towering statues and posters of Ozai in every classroom and courtyard. All students were required to wear crisp uniforms, bow to their superiors, and recite oaths of allegiance to the Fire Nation from memory. The standard curriculum consisted of Fire Nation history, basic engineering, written communication, mathematics, and citizenship courses. Music and art were options, but both were heavily restricted to ensure that they fulfilled the aim of creating cultured, loyal, and disciplined values in the pupils. Physical education was required; elementary schools evaluated the students at the age of six and divided them into two training regimens which were continued in secondary school.

Those determined to be fire benders would practice the form three times a week, while non benders would be instructed in hand to hand combat and basic weaponry. In the highest level of schooling, for ages 15-17, pupils would elect either the military track or the civilian track to finish their education. Only the wealthy continued on to university- the rest ended up in military training, manufacturing, merchant work, or agriculture. But that was all in the future. Secondary school was believed to be critical in cementing the values indoctrinated in elementary education.

By the time a student went to high education, his suitability as a citizen was unchangeable. The youth of this age range were the most vulnerable to rebellion and anti patriotism, and that was why the system was very meticulously designed to snuff nonconformity and dissention out. Yes, SS-259 was a school like every other in the Fire Nation. Until a thirteen year old boy transferred from the colonies under mysterious circumstances, wearing his uniform belt around his head and failing to bow properly to his history teacher. He told them his name was Kuzon. Everyone was ready to write him off as a hopeless rogue from the countryside- until he stood up and challenged the accuracy of a textbook that had been used around the Fire Nation for over seventy years. Little did anyone know that one boy was about to start a revolution.

"Unbelievable impertinence!" growled Ms. Kwan as she stormed into the teachers' lounge during the lunch hour. Li Gosai, a long time firebending instructor, glanced up at her in surprise. "Suri, what happened? I can't remember the last time I saw you this irked". Ms. Kwan sat down stiffly across from him. "It was a new student. Kuzon Fire. He was dragged into my class by the guards after being caught truant in town. He's one of those colony dwellers. Absolutely no manners or social graces whatsoever. I thought it was bad enough when he mocked the National Oath, but then…" She tipped back a glass of water before continuing in a low, deadly tone. "The insolent youth stood up during a pop quiz and asserted that the Air Nomads did not have a formal military, and that Fire Lord Sozin defeated them by ambush."

Mr. Gosai stared at her in shock. "Sweet Agni. Where on earth did he learn to make up balderdash like that?" Ms. Kwan sniffed mutinously. "It was clearly an attempt to undermine my authority and to avoid the fact that he did not know the answer to any of the questions on the quiz. Of course, it did not work. He sat right back down and passed in failing marks." Mr. Gosai leaned back, lost in thought. "Would you allow me to see his quiz? I'm most curious as to what other inaccuracies he purported regarding our illustrious history." Ms. Kwan sighed. "I really don't know what to make of it, although I will definitely file a report with the government questioning the validity of our colonial education. See for yourself."

Mr. Gosai eagerly examined the parchment. The enthusiasm on his face changed to perplexity and then amazement. "This is some of the best penmanship I've ever seen in a secondary student. And all of his answers are detailed and very thorough, despite being woefully incorrect in content. I mean, look at what he wrote on question five, regarding the defeat of General Iroh at Ba Sing Se. 'Iroh chose love over power, admitting defeat and mourning the loss of his son. Continuing the siege would only have brought more pain and bloodshed to both sides. Sacrificing his soul for the pursuit of power was not a compromise he was willing to make. He would eventually betray the Fire Nation by ultimately choosing to create instead of destroy the natural harmony of the world.' What kind of thirteen year old writes like that?"

Ms. Kwan shook her head. "I don't know anything about his upbringing that I could use to bring him into line. For now, I will warn all of his teachers to keep a sharp eye on him. His unorthodox ideas must not be allowed to spread."

In music class, a sunghi horn blared and two feet tapped out a vivacious beat, much to the astonishment of the surrounding instrumentalists. Mr. Shou's eyebrows knit, perturbed. Who was this kid?


	2. Speed, Strength, and Self Expression

_The Legacy of the Headband_

**A/N: Thank you everyone for favoring and reviewing this story. I'm enjoying exploring the unfinished plotlines that "The Headband" provoked. In the coming chapters, I'm going to expand upon events that were canon and add more conversations and happenings that are still canon compliant. Eventually, the story will proceed in a somewhat AU direction. **

"Kuzon!" Mr. Shou's voice cut crisply across the classroom, instantly causing everyone to fall silent, all staring at the boy in question. Kuzon looked around confusedly, clearly having no idea why he was being singled out. He glanced down at his instrument and grinned back up at Mr. Shou sheepishly. "I know… I'm a terrible Sunghi hornist."

Mr. Shou frowned. Either the boy was completely stupid or he was being deceptively naïve- how could he not realize what a disturbance he'd caused? "No, child. That hullaballoo going on with your feet. Is that a nervous disorder?" Mr. Shou had never seen any youth of this age act so blatantly disruptive. Surely there had to be some sort of involuntary nature to the feet tapping. The boy just didn't seem like a typical troublemaker, angry and aggressive. On the contrary, he seemed more easy going and relaxed than any of his peers.

Kuzon smiled and surveyed his fellow students. "I was just dancing. You do dances here in the Homeland, right?" Mr. Shou could not believe what he was hearing. Kuzon had just admitted to deliberately engaging in countercultural behavior. Dancing, as it were, had been forbidden in public places since the crowning of Fire Lord Azulon. It was uncontrolled, frivolous behavior that encouraged free thinking and destroyed the cohesion of a warring nation. All the other students knew that. Shoji tentatively answered Kuzon's ridiculous question. "Not really… no."

Mr. Shou quickly continued, determined to close the book on the matter. "Dancing is not conducive to a proper learning environment. Young people must have rigid discipline and order." Kuzon's grin faltered. But then his eyes took on a determined glint and his face set. "But what about expressing yourself?" Mr. Shou appraised him. Ah, so that was what this was all about. The boy had self control issues, but his attitude was at least understandable. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know that sometimes we are so moved by our love for our nation that we can't control our own bodies… if you must, you may march quietly in place the next time the urge hits you."

As the rest of the class went back to their instruments, Kuzon's entire body slumped as he halfheartedly marched while quietly blowing into the horn. Mr. Shou had to hand it to him- it'd been a long time since he'd had such an unusually bold student. The thought irritated- and strangely enough- intrigued him to no end.

After his conversation with Ms. Kwan during lunch, Mr. Gosai had been awaiting his last class of the day with great anticipation. He wanted to observe the strange boy who'd penned such articulate falsehoods firsthand. As the students assembled, Mr. Gosai identified him immediately. He walked with head held high, shoulders back, and his red belt tied unapologetically around his forehead. He had a slim, light build as far as Mr. Gosai could tell. Hmm… likely not a firebender then. Anyway, it was time to get the class started. Mr. Wei stood next to him, ready to take the non benders off for their training. However, all of the students warmed up together. Mr. Gosai decided to push them a little harder today. "Students, take fifteen laps around the courtyard. Anyone who fails to complete all of their laps will receive fifty extra pushups."

Many of the students barely stifled groans of protest. They all trudged over to one side of the yard. Mr. Gosai noted that the new boy had taken a position in the front. Hmm… it would be interesting to see how he fared. "Begin!" Immediately, the new boy set a rigorous pace, with a few of the more athletic firebenders drafting him and breaking away from the pack of students. Ha. Mr. Gosai stifled a smirk. The youth was clearly trying to show off. Give it a couple of laps and he'd crash and burn. There was no way that he'd be able to maintain that rate, with such a small frame. Someone would definitely be receiving extra pushups today…

Five minutes in, and Mr. Gosai was having trouble believing his eyes. Kuzon Fire was still keeping the same pace he'd started with, while all the other boys had long ago fallen off of his tail. He'd lapped the general pack of students several times now, running around the very outside of the courtyard. His feet pounded against the stone rhythmically, and he never lost focus or stumbled. All the other students were showing signs of fatigue, from red faces to heavy breathing and visible pools of sweat across their brows. Kuzon appeared unaffected, continuing to run as though it were effortless.

Mr. Wei nudged him. "Who is that kid?" Before Mr. Gosai could respond, Kuzon stopped short in front of them. "Done." Upon a closer look, both teachers could see that Kuzon hadn't even broken a sweat, and that he was breathing fairly normally. Mr. Wei stuttered. "But that's…that's impossible. Everyone else is still on lap… ten." Kuzon gave them a shy little grin. "I uh… used to run a lot in the colonies. Places were farther apart and I kinda got pretty fast, I guess." Mr. Gosai was silent, rethinking his prior assessment of the boy's athleticism. Oh, he had to be a firebender, and a pretty good one too. There was no way a thirteen year old who hadn't been through some kind of intense training would be able to run like that. But was he strong as well?

"All right, Kuzon. While we're waiting for the rest of the class to finish, why don't you do thirty pushups?" This would be interesting. The average student could get through ten decent ones before they collapsed. Even the most athletic still had not developed the muscles of their adulthood, and could only pull off twenty without difficulty. Kuzon dropped to the ground and began to push up and down with a speed that rivaled that of military training units. His form was precise and neither his speed nor angle faltered for the entire set. Mr. Wei exchanged a glance with Mr. Gosai. Clearly, the boy was a prodigy of some sort. His lightness of foot and slenderness masked incredible speed and endurance.

By now, the rest of the class was finishing, and they staggered over before several plopped down on the ground in exhaustion. Kuzon straightened up, easy going contentment radiating from his expression and body language. Mr. Gosai addressed the group. "Stand up, all of you. You may go and retrieve some water if necessary, but don't be all day about it." As they all walked towards the small pool to one side kept clean for drinking, Mr. Gosai called one student back. "Kuzon." The boy turned around, puzzlement eschewing his features. "Yes, sir?" "Are you a firebender?" At this the boy's entire body tensed, and his eyes shifted away. He mumbled something. "Speak up!" Mr. Gosai reproached him sharply. Kuzon straightened and looked Mr. Gosai squarely in the eyes. "I said no, sir. I am not." There was a bite to his voice, an underlying tone of bitterness which Mr. Gosai took as resentment and jealousy due to not being able to bend. He almost smirked. Maybe Mr. Perfect wasn't so perfect after all. Mr. Wei stepped forward. "You will be in my class then. Come with me."

As the rest of the students came back and divided into their groups for physical training, Mr. Gosai glanced over his shoulder at the retreating back of the boy with the headband. He was happily chatting away with some other students with a bounce in his step, momentary sullenness apparently forgotten. Mr. Gosai shook his head. This had to be one of the most interesting students, nay, one of the most interesting people he had ever met. Even while ensconced in making sure his students didn't blast open any walls with their basic front kicks, he mulled over the mystery that was Kuzon Fire. He couldn't help but hear the adeptly penned words about choosing love over power echoing over and over again in his mind.


	3. A Portrait of Two Nonconformists

**A/N: Sorry for the wait. I've been struggling with where I want the story to go, and now that I've figured it out, things will move much faster. In coming chapters, there will be much more involving the other students (Shoji, Onji, Hide, etc.) and some Gaang cameos as well. Enjoy!**

Songbai Wei was a reserved and pensive man. He had grown up as the only non bender amidst the hustle and bustle of five brothers in the poorer section of the Imperial City. His parents used what little extra money they had to better their firebending sons' educations in hopes of landing them in the military. Unlike the civilian societal system, any man who worked diligently and showed promise could advance up the ranks of the military hierarchy. It was one of the best and only ways for a working class family to escape poverty in the next generation.

Despite there being just as many non benders as benders in the Fire Nation Army, an inherent societal prejudice shunted non bender military roles and triumphs to the background and glorified the legacies of the flame wielding generals. As such, Songbai's parents saw little potential in their 'ordinary' son. He was often left to his own devices, and so it was on the city streets that Songbai received his real education. Back during Azulon's reign, the focus of the nation was the painstaking invasion of the Earth Kingdom, town by town and militia by militia. Domestic life was regulated tightly in the upper classes, but the seedier areas were neglected by any kind of law enforcement at all. Naturally, the power vacuum was filled by hot blooded poor boys, embittered against what life had handed them and determined to improve the quality of their dismal existences in any way possible.

Songbai saw his first fight when he was seven years old. His eldest brother had gotten into some sort of argument with a school yard rival, and then someone threw a burst of fire. Since both boys were relatively young, their firebending was rather basic and limited. Their instincts on how to fist fight however, were not. The result was a cacophony of scorching blows that left both combatants badly burned. Songbai learned his first lesson that day; never go looking for a fight. Unfortunately, one day a fight came to him. By the time he was ten years old, Songbai was accustomed to scouring the streets for food since his parents always gave most of the sustenance available to his 'promising brothers'. He found a hidey hole in an alley where someone had stashed away fresh komodo chicken, cabbage, and a whole bag of fire flakes. Just as he was about to make off with his prize, a group of boys a few years older than him entered the alleyway. They saw the food in his hands and began shouting, running furiously towards him.

Before Songbai could even react, one boy sent a small fireball in his direction. He instinctually side stepped, avoiding the following attacks with a surprising adeptness. As soon as his attackers paused to catch their breaths, he dropped the food and pushed through their ranks, fleeing home as fast as he possibly could. It was only later that he realized the brilliance in what he'd done.

Fire Nation culture and society conditioned all citizens to respond to any issue directly and aggressively, never stepping away from a challenge. But as a young non bender on the increasingly violent Imperial streets, Songbai had to find another way to deal with conflict if he wanted to avoid serious burns, or worse. Running away wouldn't always work, but finding a way to use an assailant's power against him in passive aggressive manipulation would better his safety and give him a purpose in life.

Throughout his adolescence, Songbai honed his disciplined form of hand to hand combat through real life tussles with gangs. By the time he was fifteen, he had earned the nickname "Shadow Hands" and a reputation of being the most successful thief around. He rarely spoke, wore dull clothing, and let his hair droop over his eyes. But if confronted, his limbs moved like lightening and not a single blow could be dealt to him. Even the roguish firebenders left him alone most of the time. It was in high school that he decided to pursue the civilian track and become a teacher.

Despite the fact that he was exceptional at non-bending combat, Songbai did not want to become a soldier. All of his brothers had joined the forces as soon as they could. Two of them died. Growing up poor and neglected on the streets had left him with very little patriotism for his homeland or tolerance for conformity. Songbai was a loner, and had grown calm and passive in his formative years. By teaching the one skill he had, he believed that he could mentor and guide the youth of the Fire Nation in a way he had never received as a child. As soon as he had finished secondary school, he set out for a small coastal town where he'd heard of a recent job opening, and never looked back. For ten years he had devoted himself to training the preteen non-benders treated as second class citizens by the fire wielding elite. Yes, Songbai Wei was a reserved and pensive man. But his new student was about to stir up memories and ideologies long stifled in the martial arts educator.

"Today we are going to partner off and spar. Try to put yourself with someone of relatively equal size and ability. The goal is to incapacitate your opponent so that they must 'tap out' and surrender the point. Excessively violent blows are prohibited. I will walk amongst the pairs and observe your progress. Proceed." Most of the students had usual partners for these frequent sparring exercises, and paired off accordingly. Kuzon shuffled around somewhat awkwardly, hoping to catch someone's eye. "Hey, Kuzon. Do you need a partner? I usually work with Chan-Li, but he's sick today." Kuzon's smile was a grateful one. "Sure. Thanks, Shoji." Every pair began circling each other, waiting for a moment to strike. Normally, Mr. Wei tried not to pay uneven amounts of attention to certain students, but right now his curiosity was peaked by the colonial boy who'd shown such incredible physical aptitude during the warm ups. He took up a post against a pillar and discreetly watched.

Shoji was a reasonably good combatant, but he was naturally hesitant and timid in temperament. Especially around unknown factors such as his new sparring partner. Shoji was used to Chan Li's fighting style and ability, but he had no idea what to expect from the boy in front of him. He'd seen how fast Kuzon could run. A base instinct told him that Kuzon would be a much more formidable opponent than he'd ever faced. Well, he had to try.

Kuzon was in a lazy fighting stance, eyeing him with a smirk. Shoji surged forward, intending to grab Kuzon's collar, slip his foot behind and knock him to the ground. Next thing he knew, he was tasting dirt. Kuzon had leapt several feet into the air and back flipped over his body, landing gracefully and lightly on his toes. With nothing to stop his momentum, Shoji had fallen down without Kuzon throwing a single strike. As Shoji looked up, Kuzon's stance changed. His movements became more fluid as opposed to flighty and he advanced with precision towards his adversary. Shoji used his position on the ground to try and trip Kuzon with a side kick, but Kuzon's reflexes were sharp and he caught Shoji's foot and let the energy from the kick pass through him like a wave, shifting him to the right and painfully twisting Shoji's body. Shoji groaned and tried to move, but Kuzon grabbed his arms and pinned him to the ground, using his whole body as an anvil. Shoji struggled to break free, but Kuzon tightened his muscles and made his whole frame like a rock; absolutely unyielding. With that smirk still plastered on his face Kuzon pressed his lead like torso down onto Shoji's rib cage until he could barely breathe. With a wheeze Shoji tapped his foot three times, and Kuzon immediately stood up and extended his hand. "Hey, are you all right?"

By this point several other pairs had stopped their own matches to watch Shoji and Kuzon. Mr. Wei was so mesmerized that he did not reprimand any of them. Without any truly aggressive actions whatsoever, Kuzon had managed to overcome Shoji effortlessly. The techniques of evasion, turning an attack on itself, and making oneself immovable- all of these methods were familiar to Mr. Wei from his years as 'Shadow Hands', but he'd never seen another person with similar capabilities. Fire Nation fighting was aggressive at all times- that was essential nature of fire. It had taken Mr. Wei years of experience on the streets to develop his countercultural combat style. But Kuzon already had a unique- and well honed technique that defied all conventions. And yet, the boy was scarcely thirteen. Not one exercise the entire class had caused him any difficulty. What was he truly capable of?

As Mr. Wei pondered his new pupil's success. Shoji eyed Kuzon as he caught his breath with admiration and wonder. Despite the continually mysterious aura that surrounded Kuzon, one thing was certain. The kid from the colonies was special. He challenged authority and he did everything his own way, whether it was dancing or fighting. Come to think of it, Kuzon's fighting had almost looked like a dance of some kind. Shoji didn't know what to make of any of this, but he knew that he wanted to learn as much as he could about the most interesting kid he'd ever met. Kuzon was so getting an invitation to play Hide and Explode after school.

Just then, Mr. Wei finally spoke. "Kuzon. It seems your skills in hand to hand combat far exceed your peers. Just how skilled you are is something I would like to evaluate. You will spar again… against me." The entire class gasped. Nothing like this had ever happened before. A student seriously sparring against a teacher? A shadow briefly crossed Kuzon's face. But he folded his hands and bowed respectfully. "It would be an honor, sir."

Both pupil and teacher took fighting stances ten feet apart, with the rest of the class gathered around a safe distance away. When Kuzon looked up into Songbai Wei's eyes, all ease had gone from his face. His jaw was set, his spine was straight, and his eyes blazed fiercely, just as they had in music class earlier that day. The change in demeanor shocked everyone, none more so than Mr. Wei. For the first time in over a decade, he felt like that scared little boy in an alley way, unsure if he would be able to hold his own against an intimidating and unpredictable foe.


	4. There's Something About Kuzon

**A/N: I realized as I was writing this that the incident in the classroom and music class actually took place on Aang's second day of school in the original. For the purposes of my story, all the canon events at the school take place on the first day, except for Aang's fight with Hide, which will occur on the second day as written.**

Silence fell over the mid afternoon as the courtyard pulsed with anticipation. Everyone's eyes honed in on the two opponents facing each other in a practice duel. Mr. Wei's face hardened. "All right, Kuzon. Here's your first test. Let's see what you make of it." He began kicking up rapidly and moving left and right, disguising the timing of his potential strike. Kuzon sunk low on the balls of his feet, waiting and watching every maneuver. In an instant Wei propelled forward, and balancing on his hands, performed a two legged sweep designed to immediately knock his adversary to the ground.

But it was as if Kuzon had sensed somehow exactly what Wei was about to do and he gracefully leapt upward, propelling his own foot right into Wei's stomach. Wei winced but did not falter. He rolled up backwards and back onto his feet, surging forward with a melee of quick jabs to catch Kuzon off balance as he landed. But Kuzon's reflexes were exceptional and he dodged or blocked every single fist, ducking low and using his legs like pliers, spreading Wei into a painful side split. Wei growled and tried to grab Kuzon's shoulders and pin him, but Kuzon vaulted himself off of Wei's body and landed behind him, dragging him down and twisting his arms backwards. Wei flipped his lower half and sent his feet flying towards Kuzon's face. Kuzon ducked his head, and although Wei's feet did not make a direct impact, they grazed the sides of Kuzon's forehead with enough pressure to pull his headband entirely off.

Before anyone caught a glimpse of anything, Kuzon let go of Wei immediately and clapped his hands to his forehead, curling into a ball and resting his face on his knees. "Stop!" Wei rolled back into a sitting position, stood, and turned around. "Do you concede, Kuzon?" Kuzon's voice came out muffled and uncharacteristically panicked. "Yes, yes, I concede. Please, just somebody hand me my headband." Shoji ran over and retrieved it from a few feet away. "Here you go, Kuzon." Without lifting his head, one hand shot out and grabbed the cloth strip and wrapped it over the hidden face. Only when the headband was once again fully secured and intact did Kuzon rise from his place on the cobblestones. His face was expressionless.

Mr. Wei was filled with curiosity. What could be on his forehead that would embarrass him to the extent that he would take such precautions to hide it? Before anything else could happen, the bell sounded, signaling the end of the school day. With a sigh, Mr. Wei addressed the class. "Very well. You are dismissed." Kuzon turned around and exited the yard rapidly, the other students all meandering off in groups, whispering about everything that had just happened. Songbai Wei dropped his face into his hands. He was torn between frustration and relief- frustration that his student had given up for unknown reasons, and relief that the fight had ended when it had. The way things had been going, 13 year old Kuzon would have bested him in front of all his pupils. He resolved to discover the source of Kuzon's skill and the nature of his past. What reality was he hiding from everyone beneath a red belt?

On Ji had been stealing glimpses of Kuzon all day across classrooms, intrigued by and (if she was honest with herself) attracted to the headband wearing colonial whom the whole school was talking about. His skin was slightly darker than most people's she knew, and his dark hair was cut daringly short (she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen a boy over the age of seven without a top knot). He was slightly taller than her and slender without being overly muscular. But his eyes were the most fascinating part of his appearance- stormy grey and brimming with all kinds of emotions beneath the surface. She'd never met anyone with grey eyes before, and she found them beautiful. There was just something about him that told her that he had experienced things beyond his years. Such as the scar that prompted him to wear the now famous headband. A scar from what, she wondered. Firebending? He couldn't even bend. What situation could he have been in where someone would burn him, a non bending child, badly enough to leave a scar? Had he been lying when he said he was from the colonies? After all, what about what he'd said in class about the Air Nomads? Where did he learn something like that? And in music class, with the dancing, what was that all about?

On Ji shook her head. The only way she was ever going to satisfy her curiosity was by spending more time him. He didn't even know her name yet! That had to change. As she was walking into the outer courtyard, she spotted Kuzon alone up ahead, with his hands at his collar and his head bent over. Perfect. As she drew nearer, she was surprised and amused to see two white ears poking up to either side of Kuzon's head. "Don't let the Headmaster catch you with that monkey." Kuzon jumped about three feet into the air and whirled around guiltily."What monkey?" Said monkey wiggled around, causing a strange lump around Kuzon's collarbone. On Ji giggled. He was adorable. "Don't worry, I'm not a tattle tale. My name's On Ji." But before she could say anything else, the two were interrupted by the last person that On Ji wanted to see right now. Her boyfriend.

"On Ji, you don't have to babysit the new kid." On Ji bristled with barely restrained anger. Hide insulted everyone without any concern for their feelings. He was a jerk, but she had no choice but to date him. His father had been an Admiral in the war effort, while her lineage was decidedly unimpressive. When Hide began to court her about a year and a half ago, she'd had no choice but to accept under pressure from her parents. If they ended up married, it would be a very good match that would secure wealth and honor for her offspring and descendents. If she didn't kill him before then, of course. To her shock, Kuzon actually bowed to Hide. "Wow. You must be one of those popular kids I've been hearing about." Hide looked nauseatingly smug. "That's right. Now, I know you're from the colonies, so I'll say this slowly. On Ji. Is. My. Girlfriend. Don't forget it." With an arm firmly around her, Hide steered On Ji away before she could say anything else. She knew what was coming. Hide was a year older, so he couldn't always keep an eye on her, but when he did, he became very angry with her if she so much as talked to another boy. Especially someone like Kuzon, who was unique and strong and the object of schoolgirl affection despite his low class status. On Ji braced herself. This was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

Shoji had been stalling with his friends, waiting for a moment to ask Kuzon to play Hide and Explode for several minutes after the bell. When he saw On Ji talking to Kuzon, he inwardly groaned. On Ji was easily the prettiest girl in their class, with a sweet temperament and sense of humor to match. Shoji knew he wasn't the only boy who'd harbored a crush on her for quite some time.

But because of familial manipulation, she had been claimed a while back by an older firebender who had a hot temper and mean streak to match. Hide relished in the chance to take out his aggression on worthy targets, and he generally considered any boy who so much as looked at On Ji a 'worthy target', let alone talked to her. Because of his father's status as a revered Fire Navy Admiral and his own militant loyalty to authority, Hide could get away with murder right under the Headmaster's nose if he wanted to. And Hide had a knack for sniffing out what he considered trouble. Kuzon might not be in any condition to play anything after Hide got through with him. Although, with what had just happened in gym class, maybe it would be Hide walking limping away from the fight. Either way, blood was sure to spill as a result of this situation.

Shoji and the others stood silently stunned as Hide strode over, insulted Kuzon, grabbed On Ji, and walked away without throwing a single punch. That _never_ happened. Shoji stepped forward, his voice tinged with awe. "Wow. He didn't beat you up. Not even a little." Kuzon gave his easy going smile. "I guess I'm just lucky." Lucky was an understatement. Kuzon was some kind of god. He had to have super powers or something. Senyo, Shoji's twelve year old cousin with pig tails and a gap tooth smile, grinned mischievously. "We're gonna go play Hide and Explode. Do you wanna come?" Kuzon's eyes lit up. "I'd love to!" As they all ran off, Shoji couldn't keep the grin off of his face. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy about anything. After all, if Kuzon could get away with exchanging a few words with On Ji without being pummeled, maybe, just maybe, he had a chance too.


	5. Cloaked Revelation, New Perspectives

"What do you think you're doing, talking to him? Huh?" Hide's grip on her arm was so tight that she could feel the growing heat in his hand through her uniform. She struggled to move away from him. "I was just introducing myself. That's all." Hide finally let go and faced her. They were alone in the courtyard now. His eyes burned with rage. "That's all? Don't you dare lie to me, On Ji. I saw the way he was looking at you, with a pathetic little smile on his face. What did you say to him?" On Ji's brow furrowed and she finally lost her temper. "All I did was say 'hi, my name is On Ji'. Is that such a crime? Agni, you're always so paranoid." Hide slapped her. Hard. "Don't you get cheeky, woman. You're my girl, and you and everybody else better remember that and respect it. I don't ever want to hear that tone again. And you better not let me catch you talking to colonial Kuzon or any other boy. Understood?" On Ji looked up at him, handing still rubbing her very sore cheek. "I won't…" Hide smirked again. "Good. See you tomorrow, darling." He bent and kissed her lips briefly, much to her disgust. As he strutted away, On Ji stared hard at his retreating back. "I won't…" she repeated softly. "…let you catch me."

Boom! Senyo dodged another explosion with increasing glee. These new Smoke Bombs that Urdu had gotten from his mother for passing gym last semester were way more fun than the little tiny pop ones they usually used for this game. The goal of Hide and Explode was to remain out of sight for as long as possible. Players hurled bombs at the seeker to try and disorient him so as to be the last one found. Of course, sometimes those who were hiding ended up getting hit by one another's bombs. But that of course made them easier to find if they cried out, so players routinely chucked bombs at one another purposefully if a hiding spot was known. The game only ended when the last person had been caught or the seeker conceded defeat due to exhaustion or being hit by too many slightly stinging capsules. The first person caught always had to be the seeker in the next game.

Shoji was the best- he rarely was the first one found. Usually, Senyo and Urdu ended up taking turns as the seeker. Senyo was younger than the rest and somewhat clumsy, while Urdu was rather overweight and had a harder time moving quickly or hiding himself than the others. But today, Senyo was playing really well. She had already found everybody except for Shoji and the new kid, Kuzon. They were playing in an abandoned rock quarry not too far from town. It was a great location because all of the jagged rocks lying around made for excellent hiding places. Out of the corner of her eye, Senyo saw a blur of movement several yards to her left. Not two seconds later, another bomb came whizzing at her. Senyo dodged, coughing slightly in the smoke, and saw a blur of motion on her right. Both blurs were headed right towards each other, Senyo turned around and ran in a straight line to the rock where she was certain she would catch both Kuzon and Shoji. But she didn't even have to get there for it to happen. Two loud yells emanated from behind the rock and both Kuzon and Shoji fell to the ground, their bodies peaking out from behind the rock. Apparently, they'd run right into each other and smacked foreheads. Senyo ran forward. "I've got both of you! Yay, I win. Haha, take that Shoji!" Shoji only groaned. "That was worse than gym class!"

Kuzon sat up, still holding his head but laughing. "Maybe putting two heads together isn't always such a good idea!" Everyone looked at him blankly. Kuzon's laughter died and his face took on a puzzled look. "Come on, you know, it's an expression. 'Let's put our heads together and figure this out'. Haven't you guys heard that?" Urdu shook his head, before burying it in his collar. There was a briefly awkward silence in the group.

Now that the game had ended, Senyo was reminded of everything that she'd seen and that Shoji had excitedly told her about Kuzon. She suddenly was filled with questions. "How'd you get the name 'Kuzon'?" Shoji chimed in. "You know, that is interesting. The only Kuzon I've ever heard of is 'Kuzon the Traitor'." Kuzon's face took on a confused expression. "Who?" Shoji shook his head. "Wow. I don't know what you were learning in the colonies, Kuzon. Everybody knows about Kuzon the Traitor."

Urdu spoke up. "About 90 years ago, Kuzon the Traitor snuck disguised himself and snuck onto Fire Lord Sozin's ship." Senyo continued. "Yeah, he was a really young guy so he looked like just a normal soldier. Except, he wasn't. Fire Lord Sozin was on a mission searching for the lost Avatar. Kuzon the Traitor waited until the ship was in the middle of nowhere near the South Pole and then he crept up behind the Fire Lord on the deck and tried to plunge a knife into his back." Kuzon's eyes had gone very wide, and his face was almost frighteningly pale. Shoji continued, surprised by Kuzon's reaction. "But Fire Lord Sozin turned around and shot fire at him before he could do it. The guards rushed in and grabbed him and threw him overboard into the freezing water. He was never seen again. They say that the whole time, he was shouting with tears running down his face. 'You killed Aang! You killed them all! You killed Aang…'"

Kuzon's skin was chalky white and to everyone's astonishment, tears rolled down his cheeks as he buried his face in his hands. "I never knew…" he murmured almost incomprehensibly. "Kuzon…" Senyo rushed over and gave him a big hug. "Don't be sad, Kuzon. I like your name. It doesn't matter that some guy who also had your name tried to murder the Fire Lord. That doesn't make you a bad person." Kuzon looked up and wiped his eyes, sniffling just a bit. "Yeah… thanks, Senyo. You're right. The truth is, I never knew where my name came from. Both my parents died when I was little. I was raised by a kind old man in my village named Gyatso. He taught me everything."

Shoji leaned closer. "Is that how you became such a good fighter? 'Cuz you're really good. I bet you would've beaten Mr. Wei if the bell hadn't rung." Kuzon blushed a little. "Thanks. Yeah, Gyatso was really good. He trained me- said it would prepare me for whatever I faced in the world." Senyo noticed something in his voice tone. "'Was'? Do you mean he…" Kuzon sighed heavily. "Yes. Gyatso died… a few months ago. He was killed by Fire Nation soldiers. They didn't understand what they were doing. They thought he was… a spy." Kuzon's face hardened. "But they were wrong. Gyatso was a wonderful, wise, kind teacher. He didn't deserve it."

The group sat stunned at the grief shining from Kuzon's face. Suddenly he seemed so much older than all of them. Shoji tentatively broke the silence. "So… who do you live with now? Is that why you moved here?" Kuzon slowly recovered. "Well, I had no other family and no where to go. But I knew I couldn't stay in that place with all of my memories of him. So I packed my possessions and set out alone. On my way, I ran into three other teens… we had all been abandoned in some way or another in our lives and we decided to stick together. And we decided to return to the Homeland and try to make something of our lives away from the war. So that's why I'm here."

All the youth gaped, utterly amazed by Kuzon's story. Senyo squealed excitedly. "Wow, Kuzon. So you're a like a nomad now? That's incredible. Could we meet your friends sometime?" Kuzon stood up with a thoughtful look on his face. "Maybe. We'll see." He looked around at all of them, and made a visible effort to change the subject. "Well, thanks for inviting me today, guys, I had a great time. Hey, why doesn't On Ji play with all of you? She seems really sweet. What's she doing with that angry guy ?"

At this, Urdu and Shoji simultaneously groaned. "She has no choice. Her parents are forcing her to date him." Urdu shuddered. "That guy is Hide, okay? He is the headmaster's favorite, and he can do whatever he wants. He's awful. He took my written communications homework and burned it right before class the other day. Ms. Kwan nearly gave me the paddle." Shoji patted Urdu sympathetically and turned back to Kuzon. "Yeah, and he's only gotten worse since his father died. Well, he won't believe it, but his father's been missing in action for months now in since the failed Siege of the North. His dad was Admiral Zhao."

Kuzon nearly choked on his own saliva. "Admiral Zhao? Hahaha, wow. That explains so much." The group looked at Kuzon curiously. Shoji gasped. "You knew Admiral Zhao?" Kuzon stopped chuckling and suddenly looked like a rabbitmonkey caught in front of a tank. "He, uh, docked his ship at my colony once to resupply. I saw him barking orders at his soldiers and he accidently set a crate of fish on fire. It just seems like his personality and Hide's are pretty similar." Shoji grinned. "Nice. I can totally see Hide doing that. Well, maybe once he finally accepts that his dad isn't coming back, he'll stop walking around like he owns the place." Senyo rolled her eyes. "One can only hope." Kuzon smiled. "Hey everyone, I've gotta go. My friends are probably worrying about me. But thanks again for everything. Flameo, hotmen!" And with that, Kuzon dashed off.

Senyo turned to exchange a quizzical look with her cousin. "Flameo?" As they all headed out of the quarry, each reflected on what they all had learned about their new friend. Senyo marveled at how exciting Kuzon's life was. She'd lived at home with two parents and gone to school most of the time since she was five. Kuzon had seen the world, and now took care of himself with other kids. He'd seen the parts of the war in person, instead of just reading about them in books. There was so much she could learn from him, and she wanted to. And besides that, he was fun and free. This was one friend she wasn't going to give up easily.

Meanwhile, Shoji ambled along slightly behind the others, kicking rocks as he went, utterly lost in his thoughts. It was weird how strongly Kuzon had reacted to learning about his namesake. And equally strange how he'd first reacted to Admiral Zhao being Hide's father. Not to mention that he wondered about the death of Gyatso, Kuzon's caretaker. Had Fire Nation soldiers really killed an innocent man? Was he innocent? Kuzon seemed sure, but then Kuzon had seemed sure about the Air Nomads in class, and what he'd said had been absolutely crazy. If the Air Nomads hadn't been a threat to the Fire Nation, if they hadn't even had a military, there was no way that Fire Lord Sozin would have ordered an attack on them. And after Gyatso's death, why did Kuzon go out on his own? Didn't they have orphanages in the colonies? Like Senyo, Shoji was most intrigued to meet these friends of Kuzon's whom he now lived with. How had they ended up on their own too? Shoji scratched his head. There were a lot of things about Kuzon that just didn't add up, and forced Shoji to question ideas about the world that he'd always believed. Shoji had a feeling that somehow Kuzon's entrance into his life was going to change him, and he didn't know whether to be terrified or elated by that eventuality.


	6. The Boy Behind War's Curtain

"Good evening, On Ji. How was school today?" On Ji sat at the dinner table and stared at her komodo chicken blankly. Where to begin? She always had to be careful not to reveal anything that would raise red flags for her parents, or they would crack down on her hard. It had happened before. She took a lady-like sip of her water and pondered her next words. Her parents always expected reasonably thorough answers to all questions. "This morning I got all but one question right on my history quiz. I continued learning frontal kicks in gym. And we finally finished the Azure Dragon Symphony in music class."

Her father nodded approvingly. "Good, good. And what of young Hide, how are the two of you doing?" On Ji tried not to openly lie to her parents about anything, but this was the topic she always found most difficult to be honest about. "We had a conversation after class and came to a deeper understanding of each other's expectations in our relationship." On Ji's mother's lips curled slightly upward. It was the closest she ever came to a smile. "Wonderful. Communication is very important for your future as a model citizen and model housewife, On Ji. It's a blessing that you are learning these skills now before you have the chance to pick of bad habits in your social interactions."

On Ji refrained from commenting. Hide was the one who had 'bad habits' in his social interactions. On Ji _never_ complained about being slapped, or enduring Hide's restriction of her social life to other girls only. There was no point. Her parents would likely approve. They adored Hide, and whenever he came over for dinner he was always sickeningly charming and complimentary, as he was to all authority. Only his peers got to see his temper and cruelty. And today, his dark side was set off by Kuzon, the boy with the headband, and On Ji's sheer inability _not _to go and talk to him. She'd made the decision not to tell anyone about what she thought of Kuzon, and the few words she'd shared with him. Kuzon was her little secret. And that, more than anything, allowed On Ji to gracefully maintain her façade of perfectly obedient daughter for her emotionally absent parents for the rest of the night.

The next morning at school, all of the thirteen year olds eagerly congregated for history class first period with Ms. Kwan. Normally, no one in their right mind would look forward to this class, but everyone was eager to see if Kuzon would stand up and argue with Ms. Kwan again. After reciting the Fire Nation oath, which Kuzon mouthed this time so as not to get the class in trouble again, Ms. Kwan asked the class to take out pieces of parchment and quills.

"Today, we are going to take a break from our regular curriculum to address a topic the Imperial Education Commission wishes all students to become informed about. In light of all the misinformation currently being spread about the recent capture of the Earth Kingdom capital and the death of the Avatar at the hands of newly redeemed Prince Zuko (at these words Kuzon's head shot up and displayed a look of shock and disbelief), the Commission feels that it is in the students' best interest to learn some basic facts about the Avatar so as to quell some of the more ridiculous rumors regarding his involvement in the war. First, I would like to assess your current knowledge regarding the latest Avatar. With your quill, draw a picture as you imagine him to appear that accurately reflects your understanding. Be warned; any student who does not take this assignment seriously will receive ten whacks with the paddle. We will have a class discussion in ten minutes. Proceed."

As most of the students hesitated, lost in thought, or made some feeble light strokes, Kuzon drew away furiously, apparently envisioning a particular design from the get go. The minutes passed quietly, with only the scratching of quills filling the room. Shoji drew a tall, shadowy figure with lightening striking in the background who seemed to emanate power. On Ji sketched a faceless fighter blasting two Fire Nation Soldiers with flames. All of the drawings depicted an all powerful figure, someone to be feared and fought, as they all had been taught consciously or not by listening to their parents and those around them. All of the drawings that is, except for one.

Ms. Kwan went around to each desk, and examined each picture. Most, she did not comment on. A few, she critiqued for messiness or lack of detail. But when she stopped by Kuzon's desk, she actually gasped. Kuzon's sketch, despite being in black ink only, seemed to jump right off the page. A skinny young boy with an arrow on his forehead and hands was elevated off of the ground in an orb of what was clearly air, with dust flying in all directions. His eyes and tattoos were completely shaded, and his face was contorted with rage and pain as tears streamed down his cheeks. But the most remarkable part of the image was the young woman whose arms were wrapped around his torso and whose eyes were closed in an expression of determination and love.

Everything about Kuzon's interpretation defied all of the teaching conventions Ms. Kwan had been about to indoctrinate into her pupils regarding the Avatar. She struggled to find words. "Kuzon… what is this?" Kuzon responded dutifully, as if he had no idea why she was so flustered. "This is my drawing of the Avatar that accurately reflects my understanding, mam." Ms. Kwan narrowed her eyes. "And just what is that understanding?"

Kuzon's face took on a serious look. "Despite having the burden of keeping balance throughout the world, the Avatar was at heart a human being just like any other, and in his case a carefree 12 year old boy who lost his innocence and his entire people long before he was ever ready to face his destiny as the world's savior. In moments of extreme negative emotions such as rage, grief, and fear, he lost the ability to control his own powers and entered the Avatar State, during which his past lives flooded their energy through his body and he performed incredible and destructive feats of bending that he would never be able to achieve in any other circumstance. In these moments, only the love and support of his allies could ease his burdens and return him to any resemblance of normality. The Avatar's true power came not from his ability to bend, but the strength of his heart and of his mind."

Stunned silence greeted Kuzon's words. Ms. Kwan spluttered uncharacteristically. "Who… who taught you those things?" Kuzon merely looked back at her, saying nothing more. Ms. Kwan finally regained her composure. "Human being… emotion… love… that is all absolute nonsense and I never want to hear you speak of it again. We are talking about the greatest enemy of the Fire Nation, one who is now dead. Tread carefully, Kuzon. One more deliberate falsehood like that and you will be sent to the Headmaster for likely expulsion. Do I make myself clear? Now, on to the facts. Most of you characterized the violent nature of the Avatar quite well. In the Siege of the North several months ago, he ruthlessly destroyed hundreds of naval ships in the form of a monstrous tidal wave…"

As Ms. Kwan hit the stride of her lecture, she failed to notice that the focus of her students was worse than it had ever been. Most of them were still staring at Kuzon, the only one actively listening to the lecture, and the hard frown that dominated his features announcing quite plainly that he did not agree with a single word she said.

**A/N: Thank you everyone for sticking with this and I hope you are enjoying reading as much as I am enjoying writing this tale. The next update will not be for several days, as I am going away and will not have access to a computer. Note: This is when the story is going to start to peel away from canon just a bit. Kuzon is going to say and do a great deal more over the next few days in the narrative than he did in the episode- obviously, there needs to be enough fuel to inspire change in the wake of his departure. Stay tuned! **


	7. Symphonic Equivocation

**A/N: It's back! Sorry to all of you for the wait- senior year is crazy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next installment. I'll do my best to update frequently. In this chapter, there are two references to characters Aang met in season one. Can you spot them?**

During music class, Kuzon marched almost playfully, seeming to take joy in pushing the limits of his allowed self expression. Mr. Shou could sense something in the air, a kind of restless tension. His pupils were performing the Lord's Lullaby worse than they had when they started learning it three months ago. And, just as yesterday, colonial Kuzon seemed to be the source of everyone's distraction. The boy seemed a million miles away, utterly consumed by his own thoughts. Mr. Shou sighed. Whatever intrigue the boy held to his own curious mind, he couldn't let Kuzon get away with disrupting the entire class again. There could be dire repercussions if the students no longer took his control of the classroom seriously.

The only problem was, Kuzon wasn't doing anything technically wrong. He wasn't dancing exactly, and despite his inattentiveness somehow he was still playing his sunghi horn to the correct part. Today was just one of those days when it was simply more prudent to call it quits and attempt to regain the attention and skill of his musicians another time.

Mr. Shou raised his hands as the stanza closed. "That will be all for today, class. You have ten minutes to spare, but keep the volume to a minimum. Strings, practice the key change for tomorrow. Brass, make sure to watch for that coda and the decrescendo. And percussion, please stay on beat during the bridge into verse three. That is all."

As soon as Mr. Shou turned his back and began to pack his things, the whole class erupted into whispers. A crowd of students immediately surrounded Kuzon, whose face took on a guarded and mysterious expression. A minute later, he turned and retrieved a piece of paper from his backpack and the heads moved in even closer, trying to look at it clearly. Against his own will, Mr. Shou found himself striding over to discover at last just what was going on in his students' interactions that made them so inattentive in class.

The children, upon noticing his presence, scattered away as he made a beeline for the boy with the headband. "What do you have there, Kuzon?" Dutifully, Kuzon handed him the piece of paper revealed to be a rather detailed sketch. As he examined it more closely, Mr. Shou nearly dropped the drawing in shock. This was what all of his students were thinking about. Mr. Shou was aware of the new curriculum requirement regarding the Avatar having heard colleagues discussing the merits of it at length in the staff room. But this depiction was... unreal.

There was something in the expressions on the young Avatar's and girl's faces that spoke to him in a very deep way. The detail was unbelievable. Mr. Shou returned his gaze to Kuzon's passive face. The boy was thirteen, but any boy who could draw something like this had seen things beyond his years... Silently, Mr. Shou handed the parchment back to his young pupil, thoughts racing. "Kuzon, can I see you for a few minutes when class ends?" Kuzon shrugged and nodded casually.

As Mr. Shou walked back over to his conducting stand, a slender teen with some kind of string instrument approached the boy with the headband while other conversations resumed. "Hey Kuzon, where'd you learn to dance? You know, I've always wanted to try it. Do you listen to special music or something?"

Kuzon grinned mysteriously. "The key to dancing is having music with a beat or rhythm. Something your body just wants to move to. Not like the stuff we play in here."

The youth lowered his voice. "Could you maybe teach me? Listen, I have a really big secret. Some of my friends and I like to play our instruments together out in the woods- but it's not music that we're supposed to play. We listen to the sounds out there and make up our own songs. Maybe we could play for you and you could teach us to dance. I'm sure the rest of the group would love it too. But you can't tell anyone. If my father ever found out, I'd be sent to the coal mines. Please? Will you help me?"

Kuzon's eyes went unfocused for a moment as he pondered the request. Then a little grin creased the corners of his mouth. "Absolutely. Meet me after school just outside of town. I've got an idea for your music. By the way, what do you guys call yourselves? You know, as a musical group?"

The teen looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Kuzon laughed. "Don't worry. We'll think of something totally flamin'."

The bell rang and all of the students proceeded to file out of Mr. Shou's class. All of them that was except for Kuzon, who dutifully followed Mr. Shou into his office. Mr. Shou closed the door and offered Kuzon a seat. Once both were comfortable. Mr. Shou began his inquiry. "Kuzon, in light of your... unusual behavior in my class, I would like to ask you a few questions." Kuzon nodded, face carefully emotionless.

"Where did you live before moving here recently?"

"A Fire Nation Colony in the southern part of the Earth Kingdom."

"I see. And is that where you learned the self expression of dancing that you demonstrated in my class yesterday."

"Back home, dancing is a part of culture. But honestly, it just comes naturally to me.

"Hmmm... be that as it may, you are no longer in the colonies and must respect the societal conventions of the Homeland. If I see any more of it, there shall be grave consequences. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

Throughout the whole interrogation, Kuzon's tone and expression showed not a hint of emotion. It was almost as if he were afraid of losing his face if he moved it. Mr. Shou couldn't resist indulging his curiosity.

"That drawing was of the Avatar, correct? How did you acquire that understanding of his appearance?"

Kuzon paused for a moment. Then his voice came out smooth and inflectionless.

"He was on the run in the Earth Kingdom for a while, so there were wanted posters all over my small town with his picture on them. The paper showed a kid in yellow and orange with a blue arrow on his bald head carrying a staff."

Mr. Shou frowned. Something was off here. The boy was almost creepily calm, and what he'd said did not explain the emotion on the drawn Avatar's face, the bending, or most of all the young woman drawn holding him at the waist. But nothing would be gained by harrying a youth who simply gave vague answers with a stone face. Sighing in defeat, Mr. Shou ended the conversation.

"You are dismissed. Hurry along to your next class."

"Thank you, sir."

Kuzon gathered his bag and headed out of the office. He paused, turned around, and appraised Mr. Shou with a mad gleam in his eye. "Mr. Shou, if I were you, I'd keep an open mind to the possibilities." Grinning, he dashed off.

Mr. Shou sat in his chair, blinking slowly for a good minute. Just what was that supposed to mean? This student was just one shock after another. In only two days he'd raised doubts and questions in the man's mind that had been dormant for eons. Mr. Shou shook his head and refocused, preparing for the incoming students. For now, he could do nothing but wait. Perhaps, with time, he'd come to understand some of what was going on behind that headband.


	8. Burning Questions

A/N: Sorry to all for the unbelievably long wait, and thank you for continuing to read anyway. Just a few more chapters left before Kuzon leaves and the revolution begins. In this chapter you'll get to see Hide's perspective for the first time, and some more Shoji and On Ji. And of course, Songbai Wei is back. He's probably my favorite original character in this or any other of my writings. Enjoy!

"What was that, On Ji? Your form is far too brash for a young lady. You must focus on the grace, and not the power of firebending. Run the exercise again!"

On Ji panted hard as her lungs burned far more than the wild flame she had made in her front kick. Mr. Gosai was adamant that she adopt a far more measured, calculated tone in her martial art form, and so far she was consistently failing to live up to his standards. But try as she might, On Ji's firebending remained spontaneous and fierce. She couldn't help it. Firebending was the only manner in which she could release pent up anger, frustration, and aggression hidden inside her carefully cultivated exterior for the rest of the day. Blasted sexism. No matter how far the Fire Nation had progressed in matters of gender equality, aided in recent years by the infamous reputation of the Fire Lord's precocious daughter, there were still some glass ceilings that ordinary women simply could not break. Girls like On Ji were allowed to learn firebending, but had to develop a disciplined, controlled approach to the fighting form. It would not do for young ladies to begin picking street fights, or worse, use fire to rebel against their future husbands. On Ji almost grinned sardonically at the thought. What she would give to throw a fireball at Hide's infuriatingly smug face _just once_...

"On Ji!" Boom. In the aggressive line of her thoughts, On Ji had surged forward with a front kick flame far more powerful than any she'd ever produced. The hissing smoke from the three foot hole in the courtyard wall was the only sound for several moments as Mr. Gosai's and all of the other students' dropped jaws met her own horrified expression. Her teacher, naturally, recovered first. "Class dismissed. On Ji. In my office. Now." On Ji gulped. After everything she had done to be the good daughter, this was the moment it was all going to go to hell. Well, at least if her parents disowned her, she could always go live with Kuzon. Rumor had it he and a ragtag group of teens lived as nomads, traveling from place to place. Maybe they could make room for one more outcast...

As the final bell rang and the students emptied into the outer yard, On Ji's incident with the stone wall spread like wildfire. Even with such juicy gossip however, little could distract the student body from its' latent obsession with Kuzon Fire. For Agni's sake, the boy had been at school for scarcely two days and people seemed to be able to talk of little else. Songbai Wei stood surreptitiously by one of the pillars, unnoticed by most of the preteens huddled in groups whispering furiously. Kuzon had perplexed him once more in gym that day, thoroughly incapacitating every opponent without throwing a single blow. Songbai had had the foresight not to challenge to boy himself again for fear of succumbing to the skill of a mere child. If his years on the streets had taught him anything, it was that sacrificing fights was worth the temporary ridicule if it meant preserving a far more important reputation and level of respect. By now, Songbai had come to the conclusion that this was no ordinary child in matters far beyond sparring skills. Through the gossip in the teachers' lounge, he had heard of the odd events of the first day, and of the Avatar drawing that left a remarkable impression on Ms. Kwan and Mr. Shou. Curiosity had always been his failing. That was why he was out in the yard, waiting for Kuzon and hoping to observe anything that would help him put the pieces of this puzzle together.

Hide strutted confidently through the hall, smirking at all the losers who were not nearly as strong or as clever as he was. He knew they all feared him. Hide wanted to be feared. If one was feared, one was noticed. And that was the one thing that Hide really couldn't take- not getting the attention he deserved. Like when his father became a commander and this past year an admiral in the Fire Navy and never really seemed to come home for more than a night or two... no! He wasn't going to think about that. His father was the best father ever. He would conquer the Earth Kingdom and return home a war hero. Then everyone would fear Hide even more. Then his father would... he hadn't gotten a letter in months. What was taking his father so long? The last post he'd received had told him that his father was leading a massive invasion against the Northern Water Tribe. Pshh. A bunch of peasants with savage bending. It should have been a cinch.

Then the stupid Avatar had messed it all up. Hide still didn't understand that. The Avatar had supposedly been really young. And he was just one person. Avatar or not, there was no way that one person could be powerful enough to stop a whole invasion force. Whatever. The Avatar was dead. His dad should have been back in the Earth Kingdom, helping to control the rebellion in Ba Sing Se. So when was he going to write? Hide was tired of waiting. As a matter of fact, Hide hated waiting for anything. Especially his woman. She embarrassed the fire flakes out of him this morning with her little stunt in gym class. This week she'd been unsatisfactorily defiant. Hide grinned. Putting her in her place would be the most fun of all. Hide loved it when she feared him. Everyone feared him, after all. Well, except for... Kuzon. Kuzon, who happened to be speaking, actually speaking, to On Ji who was... giggling? Like hell he would.

"Kuzon, I really liked that crazy dance you were doing yesterday."

"Thanks, On Ji." Kuzon's face morphed into an infuriating little smirk. "I could show it to you again if you'd like."

Hide felt the rage in him burst forth from the pit of his stomach through his fist into a flame that Kuzon just barely managed to dodge. Stupid little punk. No one flirted with his girl and got away with it.

"What'd you say, Colony Trash? You gonna show her something?"

Kuzon didn't even flinch at Hide's snarl or irate facial expression. "Just some dance movements."

Hide growled low in his throat. Why didn't Kuzon fear him? Well, he'd make him be afraid then! "Nobody shows my On Ji anything, especially movements."

Hide surged forward, driving a punch into Kuzon's hated calm face. However, Kuzon dodged smoothly as if it were nothing. A gathering crowd of students and one unnoticed teacher watched as Hide twisted and thrashed, determined to strike hard, but failed astonishingly. Hide gasped for breath, enraged beyond belief that he could not make contact with any part of such a puny body. His movements became more wild and unpredictable. But Kuzon dipped and dodged and evaded with speed and precision, until at last Hide flung his entire body weight and fell to the ground, groaning with pain. The whole courtyard nearly stopped breathing. Kuzon remained standing, with a small little smile tugging at his lips.

Shoji gaped. Kuzon had successfully won the fistfight without laying a finger on Hide, the best firebender in the school. No one had ever seen anything like it before. But all too soon, the headmaster broke through the circle and demanded to know what was going on. Oh Agni, this wasn't good. The headmaster hated disobedience and roughhousing. Inwardly, Shoji seethed. And of course, because Hide sat in the entire staff's pocket all day, it would be Kuzon receiving punishment, when he was completely innocent. He knew that yesterday had been too good to be true, and that Hide wouldn't let any boy talk to On Ji without coming to blows eventually.

The little bubble of hope inside Shoji's chest burst. He could still remember catching On Ji's eyes this morning across the classroom after the incident with Kuzon's Avatar drawing and silently sharing the confusion and wonder that overwhelmed both of them in regards to the boy in the headband. There was so much emotion on her face, and the way she looked at him, ever so briefly, had tinged his cheeks pink for at least fifteen minutes. But no, there would be no more of that. No more could come of it, because while Kuzon might be some kind of prodigy, Shoji wasn't willing to risk loss of limb or perhaps worse, punishment from the headmaster, for On Ji. At least, not yet. Speaking of which...

"Picking fights on your second day? We need to have a conference to discuss your punishment. Bring your parents to my office after school."

Shoji winced. That was the worst. If detention was bad enough, receiving further discipline from angry parents only made the whole thing more unbearable. Hopefully Kuzon's parents weren't too... wait. Kuzon had told them yesterday- he didn't have parents! He lived as a nomad with other youth after his mentor Gyatso was killed as a spy. Which meant...

A brief flicker of fear passed over Kuzon's face. "Parents? But..."

The headmaster spoke firmly and crossly. "Don't be late." With that he turned on his heel and strode inside, followed by Hide who gave Kuzon an evil grin before following. Shoji caught Senyo's and Urdu's glances, knowing that they all were thinking the same thing.

How was Kuzon going to manage _this_?

...

Meanwhile, Songbai Wei vanished into the shadows and made his way out of the school and to his small, unobtrusive home. His thoughts were racing and his hands couldn't stop shaking. Kuzon was a mirror image of himself at that age, but skilled beyond his years at evasive combat. Shadow Hands indeed. The similarities struck him right to the core. Songbai was a very private man. His unique fighting style had always been his, and his alone. It was the heart of who he truly was, how he expressed his individuality in a family and society that saw him as utterly unremarkable. That a child of barely thirteen knew this countercultural form could be no mere accident. It couldn't be that he was just from the colonies, or happened to be strong and fast and coordinated. There was more to him than that. The lightness of his feet, the uncanny intensity on his face in combat of one who had known far beyond his years, the terror upon the accidental removal of his headband, and the drawing of... the Avatar...

A jolt ran down Songbai's spine that stopped him right in his tracks. Was it even possible? It couldn't be... but yet, how could it not be? Songbai Wei stood motionless just outside his house as the sun drifted towards the horizon, letting the pieces of the puzzle drop slowly but surely into place.


	9. The First Rebels

**A/N: You thought I had given up on this, right? Well, it's back, and more is coming soon. The dance party is fast approaching, but first, a little character development for Senyo and Shoji. Because once Kuzon leaves, they (and On Ji) are going to be the main focus of this tale.**

Senyo glanced anxiously up at the sky. She guessed that nearly half an hour had passed since Kuzon had dashed off to Agni knows where to retrieve his "parents". She, Shoji, and Urdu were all sitting against one of the outer walls of the school, waiting for him to return. On Ji probably would have joined them, but after getting in trouble in gym class her parents had whisked her off to get ready for some kind of fancy dinner.

The three youth couldn't run off and play anything right now- this was too important. Too many things had happened today. There were too many questions, too many worries, and too many thoughts to simply forget and indulge in the merriments that typically proved the highlights of their days. Their postures were stiff and their lips were uncharacteristically silent, for they didn't need words right now to fill the air when no answers would come.

_Who. Is. Kuzon? _He spoke like a poet, and he fought like a dancer, and his emotions undulated like a wave ebbing and flowing with intensity and passion far more potent than anyone she'd ever met. Yesterday he wept upon learning the origin of his own name. His drawing was breathtakingly raw. But he was just a kid, wasn't he? He was only one year older than her, and for that matter the same age as Shoji and Urdu. No. He was not a kid, even if he had a great sense of humor and sometimes acted a little goofy. He wasn't one of them at all, really. He'd seen too much, lived too much, and lost too much. Why?

And for that matter, if he really was free to travel as he pleased with his nomad friends, why was he here in school, anyway? Senyo sighed. Sometimes class felt almost suffocating. What she would give to just run off and see the world instead of just learning about it... what if Kuzon was thinking the same thing? Senyo gasped and turned to the two boys, horrified.

"Guys, what if he doesn't come back? Since he doesn't have parents, he can't face the headmaster again. What if he and his friends just disappear? What if he's already gone?

Shoji's face went ashen. "No! Don't say stuff like that, Senyo. He's coming back. Why would he only stay here for two days? I'm sure he'll figure something out. Besides, he wouldn't leave without... saying goodbye."

Shoji cursed himself as his voice shook. As loathe as he was to admit it, Senyo's words had really scared him. This whole thing was crazy. He'd known Kuzon for less than two days, but already felt a great deal of brotherly affection for him. Sparring together, nearly winning Hide and Explode before they'd crashed into each other, sharing food at lunch today... he was amazed at how quickly they had just clicked.

Shoji didn't make friends easily most of the time. He was rather quiet at school, only showing his more mischievous and exuberant side to people he trusted. As a non-bender, he was already socially disadvantaged, and being naturally more passive and hesitant certainly didn't help. Most of the time he stuck with Senyo, his quirky cousin, and Urdu, who'd been his friend for years and was shyer than anyone he'd ever met. Urdu was constantly teased for being 'the fat kid', but he made a really loyal and caring friend.

Besides those two were some of the other non benders, like his usual sparring partner Chan Li. And perhaps he could count the Hu Jon sisters, two very nice identical twins who helped him with his basic engineering homework. Of course, there was On Ji, but seeing as he hadn't been able to actually talk to her in over a year... at any rate, he wasn't exactly a social butterfly. But the friends he had... he held onto fiercely. Kuzon couldn't be gone. He just couldn't.

"Oh sweet Agni- look! It's Kuzon!"

Urdu's exclamation drew the other two out of their reveries. There Kuzon was, strolling up the road with a secret smile just tweaking the corners of his mouth upward. On his right and left were two other figures whom they'd never seen before. One was a fairly short man walking in a somewhat awkward manner with a strangely short top knot and an extraordinarily large beard.

The other was a heavily pregnant woman with her hair in two giant buns on the sides of her head. As the trio drew closer, the three Fire Nation youth were stunned by the darkly pigmented skin and blue eyes of Kuzon's companions. Clearly these two strangers were not of the Fire Nation- in fact, neither Shoji, Senyo, nor Urdu had ever seen people of this ethnicity before.

When Kuzon spotted them, a grin lit up his face. "Hey, guys! These are the friends I was telling you about. Errr... their names are Wang and Sapphire. Wang and Sapphire, meet Shoji, Senyo, and Urdu."

Sapphire extended her hand somewhat cautiously. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Senyo frowned in confusion. The woman's voice was very young. And looking at her more closely, Senyo could easily see that her skin was smooth and completely wrinkle free, and that she was really far too slender in the rest of her body to be carrying that kind of pregnancy weight. Furthermore, Wang's shoulders were rather narrow for a grown man, and he too had no wrinkles or blemishes of age.

Kuzon, watching their reactions, chuckled and swept his arm up dramatically. "Ta da! They're my parents. Pretty convincing, huh?"

Shoji's jaw dropped. Never had he imagined that Kuzon would dare to dress up dark skinned teenagers and try to pass them off as his biological parents to the Headmaster. If his ruse were discovered, Kuzon would be sent to the coal mines and his "parents" would likely be arrested. Was Kuzon nuts?

Kuzon grabbed both of his "parents" and started leading them inside. He stopped and turned back briefly. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm having a secret dance party tonight in a cave down by the water. I'll leave a trail from the quarry where we played Hide and Explode. Spread the word to those you can trust. Come just after sundown. See you there!"

As the strange looking trio entered the school building, Shoji, Senyo, and Urdu were left in complete and utter shocked silence.

Urdu was the first one to find his voice again. "Is he serious? A dance party? What if someone finds out? We'll all be dead... or worse, sent to the coal mines! There's no way we're gonna go, right Shoji? Shoji?"

Shoji's face gradually took on a resolved look. "We should go, Urdu."

Senyo put her hands on her hips. "Shoji, you're normally the more cautious one. What's gotten into you? Urdu's right. I don't care how cool Kuzon is or how much fun it might be... it's not worth it if we lose everything. He can just run away if things get bad. We can't. He has no idea what he's asking us to risk for him."

Shoji's fist clenched. "And what exactly are we really risking, Senyo? Our families? My dad never even talks to me unless it's to complain that I'm not tough enough or that I'm a shame to the family for not being a firebender. Urdu, you're terrified to even talk to your parents unless they address you first. Our education? We've been sitting in class since we were little kids just memorizing information day in and day out, learning how to bow just the right way and recite oaths and walk in perfect lines. Does any of that even matter? Kuzon's seen the world. All this time we've been hearing Ms. Kwan talk about the war and he's been _living it_. Kuzon's strong and caring and smart and_ different_. I don't want to spend the rest of my life following the rules and letting grownups think for me. I want to be like Kuzon. I don't care about consequences. There's gotta be something better than going on like this. He's not going to stay here forever. So I'm gonna spend as much time with him as I can while he's here, and that means I'm going. Are you?"

Senyo staggered back, stunned. She'd never heard Shoji say so much at once, or express so much emotion or determination. But everything that he said resounded with her own thoughts about Kuzon and about school. Senyo had always looked up to Shoji. He was her favorite cousin, with a huge heart and a gut sense of the right thing to do. This- Kuzon- was really, really important to him. While she was still worried, she knew that she needed to support him and trust him, as she always had. "All right, Shoji. I'll come with you."

The smile that he gave her lit up his entire face. He reached over and pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thank you, Senyo. This means... more than I can say."

Both cousins then turned and looked at Urdu, who hadn't said anything throughout this exchange. His brow was furrowed, but at last he sighed. "I still think this is a really bad idea, but I'll do it. I just need to figure out how to sneak out after dinner."

Shoji grabbed both of them. "C'mon, we've got to tell everyone! Let's go!" The three young teens took off down the road into town, with Urdu struggling to keep up with the other two.


	10. As Nature Makes Them

**A/N: At last, it has returned. So sorry to all of my loyal readers for the ridiculously long break between updates. I hope to begin posting much more frequently again because I have been re-inspired to see this fanfiction through. This chapter came out in a completely different way than I expected, but I think that the opinions Aang expresses would accurately reflect the free-spirited culture of the Air Nomads, and the attitudes of the boys come from living in a society that prioritizes marriage above all else because of a need for as many children as possible to grow up and become soldiers. On Ji reflected this marriage expectation in her own thoughts earlier on. Next chapter is the dance party! Enjoy!**

Xinlang and his friends paced around "their" little alcove tucked away in the forest outside of town, waiting anxiously for Kuzon's arrival. This was not a situation they could take lightly. Coming out here in the first place was always a risk in case they were followed, but today their endeavors were particularly foolhardy. They were actually going to learn how to play music to which people could dance. Dancing! Xinlang trembled with anxiety and excitement. He felt like a naughty child, doing something right under the nose of authority figures that would make them shudder. Such sentiments were familiar for the tall musician. He was generally a very well-liked and exemplary young man, making excellent marks in his classes, showing talent in his firebending training, and gathering a plethora of female admirers. His parents had told him from a young age that he was destined for a great military career.

However, Xinlang had never truly enjoyed fighting. He wasn't like that bully Hide. From the very first time he picked up a mandolin in class, Xinlang had been desperately hiding his passion for music from his parents. He knew they would never understand that he wanted to play music for the rest of his life. There were words for boys who pursued the arts and disliked violence. Xinlang had heard them in the hallways, and in his nightmares. Sometimes, he felt like he had so many questions and fears and anger and loneliness bubbling up inside him that he was about to explode. Oftentimes, music was the only way he could let himself defuse without losing every shred of composure. He had discovered from a young age that in order for music to be a form of self-expression, it had to come from within himself. He had started hiding in the woods and playing his own tunes around age ten, telling his parents he had special tutoring lessons after school to ensure the best grades possible. It was a good thing that Xinlang easily got the grades on his own, and that his parents completely believed that the "tutoring" was responsible. The ruse had worked for over three years now.

A few months into his secret music sessions, he had been followed and confronted by five other guys in his classes, who had intended on ratting him out for whatever he was doing. They were Hide's crowd, and Xinlang thought his life was over. However, when they discovered his musical liberation, they miraculously decided to join him. All this time later, Xinlang sometimes still could not believe his double life. At school, the other five boys never interacted with him, maintaining their positions in Hide's jock posse. Yet out in the woods, their voices and notes blended together in a harmony of companionship and trust that could not be broken. Away from any judging eyes, these young men revealed the parts of themselves made of softness, sensitivity, and compassion. Xinlang considered his fellow musicians to be his best friends.

Yet the danger of discovery never left their consciousness whenever they played, attuned to every rustling leaf or crackling twig that might indicate a witness's presence. This paranoia gave way to inspiration. Listening so carefully to the sound of nature around them for security had caused them to understand the innate music of the natural sounds of the forest. Alas, so they played, harmonizing with the wind and the trees and the calls of animals. Their daily lives were filled with discord, enmity, steel, flames, and rigid discipline. Composing ballads and songs amidst the dirt and trees and sky almost seemed like a dream at times, so very different from the harsh reality of the world they knew.

Xinlang was shaken from his thoughts by a slightly unfamiliar voice.

"Hey guys! Nice secret hideout you've got here."

All five boys jumped in shock. Kuzon was standing there in his trademark headband with a cheeky grin on his face. None of them had heard him enter the clearing. Impossible. Xinlang addressed him incredulously.

"Kuzon! How… did you get in here without us hearing you? And are you absolutely sure you weren't followed?"

Kuzon gave the proper Fire Nation bow of respect. "Don't worry. I can be pretty sneaky when I want to be, and I have _plenty_ of experience avoiding people who are looking for me. We're safe. I promise. Now, let's get started. I've been thinking about it all day, and I've come up with a totally hot name for your group. You guys are… the Flameos!"

One of the other boys, Qingzuo, gave Kuzon a strange look. "Where'd you get that name? It seems kind of… queer."

Xinlang winced, but didn't say anything.

Kuzon looked puzzled. "Queer? What's that mean?"

Another group member rolled his eyes. "Really? What rock did you crawl out from under, Kuzon? Hide's father told him all about it. Queers are weirdo girly boys who like to kiss other boys. They don't know how to fight, and they don't get married and bear children like they're supposed to. Our group can't have a name that makes us sound like _we're_ like that."

Kuzon looked completely confused. "Huh? I don't understand what you're talking about. Lots of boys kiss other boys. In my temp- I mean, village—people lived segregated by gender. Some people traveled and had kids, but others just stayed with each other. Everyone should be free to love whoever they want. It doesn't matter at all. Come on, hotmen. The Flameos is an awesome name!"

Qingzuo turned bright red and everyone else looked shocked and angry. "Don't call us that! We're not hotmen, and you better watch your mouth! But I bet you're one, aren't you? Xinlang, why'd you bring this colonial freak here? Maybe Hide was right. He's trouble."

Xinlang could not say a word. He was terrified that all of his friends were about to abandon him. Thanks to Kuzon. What on earth was that kid talking about, with his old village. Was there really a place where queers weren't "queers"? Where hotmen could be together and just be seen as men? Where these kinds of questions weren't dark and lonely and confusing and shameful? And was Kuzon really _one of them_? He was rather strange, and he was really good at drawing, and he liked to dance… but wasn't Kuzon also supposed to be some kind of prodigy non-bending fighter? And didn't he get into a fight with Hide yesterday for chatting with On Ji? Hmm… there was just no pinning this kid down.

Kuzon crossed his arms. "I think you're all being really awful right now. Hide's dad, Admiral Zhao, is a jerk with no self-control. Like father, like son. Don't listen to them. Is hotmen really a word for men who kiss men? I didn't know. But even if I did, why is that an insult? I'm not insulted by it. I'm in love with my forever girl. That doesn't mean I'm gonna be a jerk to people who are different from me. There are a lot of things I've seen in the Homeland that need to change. And this attitude is one of them. Starting right here. You there- kiss Xinlang on the cheek and give him a hug, right now."

Kuzon was pointing at Qingzuo, whose face was so red that he looked like he had swallowed an entire container of Fire Flakes in one go. "Don't talk about Hide like that. And are you crazy? No way."

Kuzon frowned. "Come on. If you don't do it, I'll tell the headmaster all about your music group. I don't want to do that, considering that you've got your first real gig tonight, and not having you there would ruin the whole party, so please don't make me. See? It's simple."

Without preamble, Kuzon stepped forward, grabbed Qingzuo, kissed his cheek, and hugged him, before stepping back to the complete astonishment of the group. Kuzon smiled. "That's it. I dare all of you to do that right now. There's nothing wrong with it, and you're gonna learn that. Besides, you guys like rebelling with your music, right? Out here, your songs are all about free self-expression. So's this. Maybe some of you like girls, and maybe some like boys. Either way, the least you can do is let everyone be free to be themselves."

Slowly, silently, all of the boys began awkwardly giving each other hugs and cheek kisses. At one point, there was an outbreak of nervous laughter to defuse the tension. When Qingzuo finally got around to embracing Xinlang, the mandolin player thought he was dying. Feeling Qingzuo's nervous lips gently brushing over his cheek made him feel warm all over, and his stomach was doing summersaults. Instinctively, he hugged back hard, looking up into Qingzuo's wide eyes and blushing face. Luckily, it didn't seem like any of the others had noticed their uncharacteristic exchange.

After a few minutes, the whole group dynamic was completely different. Everyone was much more relaxed, grinning partly out of nerves and partly out of amazement at what they'd just done, laughing sporadically.

"Wow. That was weird. But all right, I guess."

"Yeah. Imagine how angry our parents would get."

"Well, _I_ still like girls, he he he."

"You're still really strange Kuzon, but it's actually kind of awesome. I guess we can be the Flameos. I don't think anyone's got any better ideas."

Kuzon eyed them all with a satisfied look on his face. "Great. Well now that that's taken care of, we can actually get to the music. Drummers, we're going to need some constant fast beats from all of you. Show me what you've got. The Flameos are gonna rock the cave tonight!"


	11. Twilight Whispers

**The Legacy of the Headband Chapter 11: Twilight Whispers**

"Hey, did you hear about the secret party? Kuzon's organizing it!"

"Yeah, we're gonna meet him in one of the empty seaside caves at sundown."

"Psst. Are you going to Kuzon's party tonight? Make sure you're not followed."

"Tell your parents you're studying for a big Basic Engineering test at my house. Come on, let's go!"

"I've heard he's going to dance again! Can you believe it?"

"We have to find a guy called Shoji. I'm pretty sure he's Senyo's cousin. Kuzon told him which one is the right cave."

Word of Kuzon's secret dance party spread like wildfire amongst all of the students in the hours after school ended. Some of the wealthier students with their own messenger hawks took it upon themselves to spread messages all across town. Other kids went up and down their neighborhoods and knocked on doors, quietly exchanging rumors and details of the event. The student body, collectively in awe of Kuzon's radical activities over the past few days, wanted to make sure that no one missed a party hosted by the most popular kid in school. In each house, kids made convincing excuses to their parents to explain their whereabouts and snuck out, one by one. Lifetimes of living in such a repressive culture had made all of them practiced liars, so the community at large remained unaware of the cultural insurrection occurring right under their careful watch. As the sun gently began to kiss the watery horizon, small groups of uniformed preteens furtively began to make their way towards the sea underneath a blazing orange sky.

Amidst all the flurry of messaging and communication, however, it was only inevitable that the information regarding such a scandalous evening would leak to the one kid who would ruin it all.

After a boring supper with only his distant and withdrawn mother for company, Hide readjusted his top knot, stole a handful of fire lilies from his neighbor's garden, and strutted over to On Ji's house. He had suffered through a horrible day at school, and knew that charming On Ji's parents would further his claim to his girlfriend. Usually, Hide didn't usually see the point of dopey gestures like bringing flowers, but considering the look he'd seen on On Ji's face around Kuzon, he figured he should step up his game a little bit and get her firmly back under his control. He was just rounding the corner of the entry courtyard of her home when he saw three other kids from school walking towards the house with scrolls, quills, and ink in their hands. Quickly, he ducked behind a pillar and made sure he was completely out of sight. Hide recognized the taller boy, Shoji, and the bucktoothed girl and fat loser he always hung around. What were they doing here? Hide decided to stay hidden and find out.

Shoji went right up and knocked twice. After a moment, the door to the inner house opened and On Ji's father stepped out into the courtyard. He frowned as he looked upon the three youths in their slightly wrinkled school uniforms.

"Good evening. May I help you?"

All three kids bowed properly in deference to their elder. The bucktoothed girl responded sweetly. "Good evening, sir. Is On Ji available? We are her classmates, and we were wondering if she could come back to my home and help us with our Communications homework. On Ji is such a great student, and we all would be honored to receive her advice and wisdom."

At her manners and complement towards his daughter, On Ji's father's expression brightened considerably. "It pleases me to hear On Ji's peers speak so highly of her intelligence. You all seem like upstanding, responsible youth. Although On Ji is being punished, I suppose I shall allow her to tutor all of you since she has completed her own homework for the day. If you would just follow me, I will have my wife prepare a suitable place for the lesson to occur."

Shoji quickly interjected. "We are humbled by your hospitality, sir. However, Senyo has already told her parents all about On Ji and they are quite eager to meet her in person. We would love to come inside, but we do not want to disappoint them, especially since they are looking forward to this meeting with great anticipation."

On Ji's father furrowed his brow in consideration, and then nodded. "Very well. I will permit On Ji to go with you on the condition that you return her here within three hours. I do not want her to lose sleep while generously devoting her time to assisting inferior students such as yourselves. Please wait here while I summon her."

After On Ji's father left, the three kids all breathed visible sighs of relief. The fat one patted Shoji on the back and grinned.

"Phew, that was a close one! We almost got trapped studying inside all night. Way to think quickly, Shoji!"

Shoji slapped a hand over the other boy's mouth. He whispered furiously. "Shhh, Urdu. Someone inside might hear you. I think I hear footsteps!"

The door opened again and On Ji peered out. Her face erupted in shock and quickly, she stepped out and shut the door, glancing back nervously.

"Shoji? What are you guys doing here? My father thinks you want me to tutor you in Communications, but everyone knows that you're one of the best in the class. What's really going on?"

The bucktoothed girl grabbed her arm lightly. "Haven't you heard the news? We're taking you to Kuzon's secret dance party, of course! It's a seaside cave right past the old rock quarry."

On Ji staggered back against the door. "What? Oh no… no way. I can't go with you. Do you know what would happen if my parents found out? What if Hide found out? He would kill Kuzon if he learned I was there. I'm in enough hot water as it is after the firebending accident in gym class today." She winced and subconsciously rubbed her side.

Shoji took both of On Ji's hands. "Come on, On Ji. I know how much you really want to come with us. The entire school is going! Everyone will be wearing their uniforms. You can blend right into the crowd. Don't you understand? This is more important than staying out of trouble. Kuzon is worth the risk; I just know it. And forget what Hide thinks. He's a jerk. You're too good for him and he doesn't deserve you."

Even in the semi darkness, the blush on On Ji's cheeks shone brightly. Quickly, Shoji dropped her hands and stepped back. They stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Shoji placed his hands on the shoulders of the other two kids. "Well, if you won't come, please don't tell anyone where we are. Come on, guys." Slowly, the three kids turned around and began to walk away. On Ji remained where she was, leaning against the door, gazing unfocused at her hands. Suddenly, she leapt into action, sprinting towards the road. "Wait! Wait for me!"

As the four students vanished from sight, Hide carefully made his way back towards the road from behind the pillar. His face was red and his hands were shaking with rage. Not only had that little punk Shoji called him a jerk and implied that he wasn't good enough for On Ji, but On Ji had decided to go with them to a dance party held by… Kuzon. Why hadn't Kuzon been punished after the fight today? Hide had been sure that Kuzon would not be a problem for him anymore. Apparently, the little colony rat had wriggled his way out of suffering again. Ugh! It was so infuriating. There was no way Hide was going to let that punk seduce his girlfriend with his filthy dancing.

Hide shot a couple of blasts of fire in frustration. After today, he knew that confronting Kuzon head on again would not work. Instead of fighting like a man, Kuzon was a pathetic coward who could dodge all of the blows coming towards him. No, there had to be another way. Suddenly, Hide knew what he would do. Hide had gotten ahead throughout his life by charming his way through the system. He excelled at getting his way by playing the rules to his own advantage. Mind made up, Hide broke into a run. The headmaster lived in an estate several miles outside of town, but Hide was determined to make it there as quickly as possible. He'd make sure Kuzon's illegal dancing party would be discovered and disbanded by the proper authorities.


	12. The Rhythm of Liberation

**The Legacy of the Headband Chapter 12: The Rhythm of Liberation**

**A/N: If you would like to listen to the music described in this chapter while reading, search for "Cave Jivin-ATLA Soundtrack" on YouTube. I won't include a link because the videos are frequently removed.**

Xinlang, Qingzuo, and the four other Flameos excitedly set up their instruments, hardly believing that they were about to play the music they loved in front of other people, not to mention at a secret dance party in a cave. Those among their group who were friends with Hide felt very nervous that someone would tell him what they were doing and their secret double lives as jocks and musicians would be ruined. However, elation was winning out over fear for the moment.

Xinlang set his Sunghi horn down for a moment and surveyed the space inside the cave. He was very impressed with the set up, and wondered how Kuzon had found such a perfect spot to host this kind of illegal gathering. The cave was sufficiently far enough outside of town that there was no risk of being overheard. Furthermore, since it was now twilight, all the coastal fishermen had already gone home and no one else would have any reason to be anywhere nearby.

The Flameos were positioned upon perfectly flat earthen platforms above the floor of the cave. Xinlang wondered how the platforms had formed; they were cylindrical and so perfect that they seemed almost unnatural. Hundreds of candles gave the whole space a soft glow, and there was even a fancy ice sculpture holding cold water for everyone to drink. How in Agni's name had Kuzon pulled this off?

Well, Xinlang reflected, he did have help from his friends. The three other people who seemed to be with Kuzon all stood talking amongst themselves on the other side of the cave, not really interacting with anyone else. Who were they? Two of the youths were taller and had very dark skin, and the shorter girl wasn't wearing shoes. Ah, well. Xinlang brushed his questions to the side. Now that the other kids were arriving, it was show time. He quickly grabbed his Sunghi horn again and signaled the strings players and the drummers to get ready. On the count of a four beat measure, they began.

As Shoji entered the cave with a large pack of other students, he heard the most incredible music emanating from the back. The rhythm was far jauntier than anything he had ever heard in school or with his parents before. He looked over at the musicians and nearly tripped over his own feet upon seeing several of the same boys who sneered at him along with Hide eagerly creating such rebellious melodies.

As he took in the ambiance of the room, Shoji's admiration of Kuzon only grew. How had he managed to light all of those candles and get firebending jocks to play countercultural tunes? Shoji sighed with happiness. He was still nervous about being caught, but he felt in his gut that he had made the right decision by coming here tonight. Best of all, he had convinced On Ji to come too. Hide certainly wouldn't be here, which meant that finally, Shoji might have the chance to talk to her. Or maybe, they could even share a dance… he blushed violently at the thought. No, he would never work up the nerve to ask her to do something so scandalous. Besides, Shoji reflected, she seemed to be just as obsessed with Kuzon as everyone else. He honestly couldn't blame her.

Kuzon leapt out in front of the musicians and shouted joyfully. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Flameos!" He grinned madly, only to frown slightly when he saw that everyone was just looking at him, not knowing what to do. Shoji knew that someone had to break the ice, and so he pushed his way to the front and asked for help.

"What do we do now?"

Kuzon gestured emphatically. "This is when you start dancing!"

Urdu scrunched down into the collar of his uniform. "I don't think my parents want me dancing in a cave."

Another voice called out. "Yeah! What if someone finds out?"

Kuzon looked down and rubbed his head. "Oh boy. Listen, guys. Dancing isn't something you think about. It's a form of self-expression that no one can ever take away from you."

Shoji wanted to believe Kuzon's crazy impossible words, but his cultural upbringing was warring fiercely with his newfound courage to challenge and question those norms. In an instant, his upbringing won out and he stepped forward, cringing as he spoke like Mr. Shou.

"Maybe it was different in the colonies, Kuzon, but we don't do that here."

Kuzon looked surprised for a moment, but then his face became determined again.

"Sure you do. You have for generations. It just so happens that I know several classic Fire Nation dances. A hundred years ago, this was known as the Phoenix Flight."

Kuzon proceeded to bend forward and extended his arms back, using one foot to propel his movement and creating the shape and appearance of a bird in flight. Shoji's eyes grew wide. He had never heard of the dance. Could it really be possible that people in the Homeland used to dance freely?

"And this was the Camelephant Strut." Kuzon strafed from side to side, mirroring his arms to his legs and rolling forward into facing two girls who giggled madly as his smirk and close proximity. Then, Kuzon leapt high into the air into a backflip and landed in the middle of the dance floor on one leg with the other knee tucked up and both arms extended towards the opposite direction of his standing leg.

Everyone went crazy. Urdu started crying, Shoji leapt up and down, and everyone started cheering madly as Kuzon continued to perform incredible acrobatics in his dancing. Shoji slowly started to move back and forth to the music, entranced by how good it felt to move this way. As the music blared on, more and more kids began loosening their inhibitions and joining Kuzon on the floor. Urdu and Senyo began to shake and stomp to the beat, and pretty soon, Shoji completely let go. He closed his eyes and let the music flow through him, losing all sense of time and place. He had never felt freer in his entire life.

On Ji stood with a few others who remained too nervous to partake in the rebellious revelry. Truthfully, she desperately wanted to dance, but she was terrified of what would happen if Hide or her parents found out. Her abdomen still hurt from the beating her father had given her after school for destroying a wall with her firebending during gym class. She honestly wasn't sure why she had even come in the first place.

It had been the look on Shoji's face that had caused her to run after him. He had seemed so confident and so certain in his conviction that this was a good idea. It had shocked On Ji to see him act in such a way, given how timid and cautious his behavior was at school. Well, she supposed that all of the boys were timid and cautious around her at school, given that Hide would shoot fireballs at them if they weren't. On Ji sighed. She was at a party without Hide, and all she could do was worry about him. He controlled so much of her life, and she was sick of it.

A warm hand grabbing hers broke On Ji out of her melancholy. She looked up and nearly forgot how to breathe. Kuzon was right there in front of her, holding her hand and gazing at her with his mysterious gray eyes and an adorable grin. On Ji thought her heart was going to pound right out of her chest.

"Come on, let's dance!"

She couldn't believe it. Out of all the girls in the room, he had sought her out specifically. Should she go with him? The soft affection on Kuzon's face was drowning out all the voices in her head warning her how bad an idea this was. The skin of his palm felt so nice against hers.

"It's okay. Trust me."

On Ji nodded slowly and let Kuzon guide her to the center of the dance floor as a smile quirked the edges of her lips up and a rosy flush bloomed across her cheeks and neck. He let her hand go and started moving back and forth, waving his hands in front of him to match the rhythm of the music.

"This is how they do it in the ballrooms of Ba Sing Se."

On Ji copied the simple dance movements and soon she and Kuzon were moving in sync, gazing into each other's eyes. There was warmth growing in On Ji's chest that she had never felt with Hide. She couldn't remember the last time she had this much fun, and Kuzon was just so amazing. He was handsome and kind, yet strong and passionate. Did he like her? Would they kiss at the end of the night? On Ji hoped so with all of her being. She was no longer thinking about Hide and the black and white rules of the world in which she lived. She was lost in the spectral gray oblivion of Kuzon's eyes and the heat of their dance.

**A/N: The Kataango is coming in the next installment. So much happened at the dance party that I am splitting it into 2-3 chapters. Poor On Ji is in for quite a disappointment. And all of the characters will soon have to cope with Kuzon's sudden departure. The revolution is coming! **


	13. Harmonious Steps and Discordant Hearts

**The Legacy of the Headband Chapter 13: Harmonious Steps and Discordant Hearts**

Songbai Wei slipped around the outside of the cave silently. Years of eavesdropping while on the streets of Capital City had allowed him to discover the existence of the dance party with ease. Since his revelation a few hours earlier, he had determined that gathering as much intelligence on Kuzon as possible would help him decide what to do with this newfound information. If the Avatar was indeed alive and hidden in plain sight within the Fire Nation itself, there must be a very good reason for his presence. Furthermore, Wei was also convinced that the Fire Lord must not be aware of Kuzon's vitality or he would not have declared victory only to be proven wrong later. That meant that one of the Fire Lord's advisors who had participated in the capture of Ba Sing Se must be lying. If the Avatar's death was a lie, what else was the government prevaricating?

Wei's mind and heart were in complete conflict. Every ounce of cultural conditioning and indoctrination he had ever received throughout his life urged him to report Kuzon to the authorities immediately out of unfailing loyalty to the state and to the Fire Lord. Perhaps only a week ago, he might have made such a choice without a second thought. However, interacting with Kuzon over the past few days had affected Wei profoundly. He had always felt alone and different within his own culture, yet when he met Kuzon, he discovered a kindred spirit with a similar fighting style for the first time in his life.

He had learned from birth that the Fire Nation was the superior state of the world, and that all other cultures were savage and miserable in their tribal simplicity. His school lessons had emphasized that the Great War was a way for the Fire Nation to share its greatness with the world; the Fire Nation had everything to teach the other nations and nothing to learn from them. However, now that he knew that Kuzon was from a completely different culture, he realized that perhaps there were places out there where he might actually… belong.

Adding to Wei's confusion was the fact that observing Kuzon up close had humanized the Avatar in ways that propaganda texts and legend never could. It was still hard to believe that such a young, good natured boy was really the most powerful being in the world, capable of destroying armies and causing tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, and volcanic eruptions. Yet there was no other explanation. Kuzon was far stronger than any of the other students in the school because he was a master bender who had been in constant training for years. The old soul that Wei had sensed within him was the essence of his hundreds of past lives. The headband he wore was not covering a scar, but the blue arrow tattoo seen in all of his wanted posters. Of course, that meant that his name was not Kuzon at all, but rather… Aang.

Aang. Could this really be the terrifying figure hunted by thousands of Fire Nation soldiers around the world? After all, sometimes he seemed just like any other boy who smirked and joked and flirted with girls in the schoolyard. Yet how could a child who had been through such trials act so innocent and carefree? Wei wished he could talk to Aang openly and get inside his head. Who was the Avatar behind the headband and why was he here? Wei sighed deeply. He knew he was not going to turn the boy in to the police. He did not trust the government anymore, and all he could trust was his gut instinct that the Avatar was the gateway to a world where he might finally find happiness.

As Wei reached the back of the cave near the sea, he heard a low groaning noise that caused slight tremors across the ground. The sound echoed out over the water and was followed by several large thumps. Wei's eyes widened and he continued to approach very carefully. The strength of the vibrations suggested that there was a very large animal nearby. Wei wanted to make his way inside the cave without being seen. The only way to do so might be to sneak past this mystery creature.

Wei turned the corner to face the back entrance and stopped short, covering his mouth to keep from crying out. In front of him was a giant white bison of gargantuan size. The animal had solid horns protruding from its head, a large flat tail that was flopping up and down, and six powerful legs moving in a particular rhythm. Luckily, the fluffy monster was facing towards the cave, allowing Wei to overcome his initial shock.

As he stood in place, Wei realized that he could hear lively music drifting onto the wind from inside the cave. Apparently, the bison could hear the beat too and was actually moving in time to the notes. It was almost as if he was… dancing. No, that was ridiculous. Bison do not dance. Yet the powerful creature continued groaning, tapping, and wagging with the melody. Wei ducked out of sight again and paced, trying to determine how to proceed. How would he get inside the cave without being attacked by that symphonic savant of a beast?

On Ji sipped her water like a lady, even though her throat was begging for hydration. She had no idea how long it would take for her to recover from her dance with Kuzon. She felt hot and sweaty all over, and the stain of red across her cheeks wasn't going to come out anytime soon. Her heart was still racing, and her breath was not yet even. Somehow, he was still out there dancing, leaping around the room and encouraging everyone to join the revelry. On Ji had no idea where he found all of his stamina. She hadn't wanted to stop dancing with him at all, but thirst and the lingering pain in her side had won out and she had excused herself to the large ice bowl of cold water.

The Flameos played on, and most of the students were now on the floor, improvising and letting loose. As On Ji peered around the room, she noticed that even Shoji, Urdu, and Senyo were caught up in the beat, totally unaware of themselves in the pulse of the crowd. She had to admit that such levity was dangerously fun. Her sore ribs attested to that. As much as On Ji was loving this night, she knew it couldn't last. With that thought in mind, she scanned the room again for Kuzon, determined to find him and chase her worries away with his smile just for her. That was her plan, of course, until she saw Kuzon extend his hand to the dark skinned girl with blue eyes.

On Ji had not paid much attention to any of the youths in the room without school uniforms. She was vaguely aware that they were connected to Kuzon somehow, but her attention had scarcely wavered from him throughout the night. Yet now, she took in the darker girl with questions abound. Who was she? How did Kuzon know her? Where did people who looked like that even come from? She was certainly a very beautiful young woman, On Ji acknowledged. She was slim, and her revealing outfit displayed her muscular abdomen and arms from across the room. On Ji guessed that she was a little older than Kuzon: maybe 14 or 15 years old. The girl frowned and looked away from him for a moment, fiddling with her hair. Kuzon seemed to insist, and with a small smile, the girl took his hand and followed him out onto the dance floor.

On Ji moved closer to the pair of them, her heart sinking into her stomach. So, she wasn't the only girl Kuzon handpicked to dance with tonight. Not only that, but now he was whispering something in her ear and she was smiling softly. The two of them turned and bowed to each other, using the same strange hand position that Kuzon had during his first day in Ms. Kwan's class. Then, they began to circle each other, falling into a kind of dance that On Ji had never seen before.

In a matter of seconds, everyone in the room stopped moving and gathered in a circle around Kuzon and his dance partner, watching with surprise as Kuzon demonstrated yet another form of self-expression they had never seen before.

On Ji stared at them with her mouth open. She was beginning to realize that the spark of affection she thought she had seen in Kuzon's eyes was absolutely nothing compared to how he was looking at this girl. As they turned, On Ji saw them exchange a few words that made the dark young woman blush and then give Kuzon a look that could only be described as sultry. While Kuzon had danced side to side with her, he was now dancing in a cyclical rhythm that the other girl matched perfectly. He wasn't instructing her or helping her along at all. They were just moving together in perfect harmony, flowing with the vivacious melodies echoing around the cave.

Their dance was almost like a flow of energy or a beautiful fight. He would kick and she would dodge- they would twirl and lunge and move back together again with ease and grace. What they were doing was more than just a dance; _they_ were more. On Ji watched and watched and felt her heart break like the wall she had destroyed during gym class that afternoon. Kuzon would never look at her the way he was gazing at his dance partner. They were probably a couple. How could they not be, moving in such sync together? Kuzon and his companion had probably danced like this many times before in the colonies.

On Ji felt a traitorous tear slowly sully her rapidly cooling cheek. She felt like a fool. How could she have believed that she was good enough for someone as amazing as Kuzon? Her hair was boring, her teeth were a little crooked, and she still had almost no curves showing through her uniform. She was still a little girl, and Kuzon had a woman who could dance and smile at him with confidence.

Kuzon and his partner simultaneously flipped in midair and twirled around again, eliciting cries of awe from the crowd. With one last measure of music, the dark skinned girl back flipped twice and landed perfectly in Kuzon's outstretched arm. Everyone started cheering and clapping with gusto. On Ji straightened her back and school her expression, wiping away her tears. She knew she had lost any chance she might have had with Kuzon, but she was determined not to let it show. Wandering over to Shoji, she decided to clear her mind and simply try to enjoy the rest of the party for as long as she could.

Unbeknownst to any of the jubilant children inside the cave, The Headmaster and several guards were rapidly approaching the shore. Hide smirked to himself. Running all the way to the outskirts of town had not been easy, but the Headmaster's gratitude had been worth it. He knew he was in for even more perks and favors now than before. Sure, his peers might call him a snitch, but he preferred to call it "manipulating those in authority to get ahead."

Why should he care if his classmates got upset that he ruined their illegal soiree? It was what the adults of him that counted. Besides, dancing was wrong and dangerous to the health of the state. Hide had known Kuzon was a troublemaker from the start, and now he would be able to get rid of the miserable twerp once and for all. With Kuzon out of the way, On Ji would be all his again and no one else would dare to challenge him. As Hide marched onward towards the cavern, he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that after tonight, everything would go back to the way it should be.


End file.
